Matthew 7:24-29 – “Everyone who hears these words of mine”

Jon Beck

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, May 23rd. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.  They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:45 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistavonpark/  We also provide the services through YouTube on our website by Sunday afternoon at www.fbcap.net

INTRO THOUGHTS

  • Jesus closes the sermon with a parable.
  • Two Foundations (Previously- two gates, two teachers, two disciples)
    • Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord as their foundation
    • Or the Religious establishment of the day
  • Their establishment was supposedly built upon the Law of God, but when the fulfillment of God’s Law was standing before them… they did not recognize God’s divine plan.
  • The point of the parable is clear… the foundation of one’s life should be the LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST and ALL HIS GLORY.
  • Key phrase – THESE WORDS OF MINE.
    • There is HEARING HIS WORDS and BELIEVING HIS WORDS and then DOING HIS WORDS (vv. 21-23) 1 John 2:3-6

[24] “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. [26] And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. [27] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

[28] And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, [29] for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (ESV)

Matthew 7:24–29

The Details of the Parable:

  • Two groups of people.  Those that hear and do and those that hear only (do not really believe the Words and apply them to THEIR life.)
  • Houses are built.
    • The works of our life.
    • Both groups are living their life.  Day to day living this side of heaven.
  • The storm comes to both.
    • Affairs of life.
    • Temptations of life.
    • Ultimately, FINAL JUDGEMENT
  • Different foundations
    • Rock – Bedrock… Solid and Firm
    • Sand – unstable.  Philosophies, Opinion, “I think…” Shifting Sand.
  • Different plans for life (Blueprint)
    • Our purpose, direction, One’s mission in life.
    • One builds their house with divine blueprints.  Their desire is to honor God with their life.
      • More diligent, detailed. Better stewardship of resources.
    • The other one uses his own design
      • easy, most popular, the latest fad, the WIDE WAY

The Point of the Parable:

Build your life upon the Lordship of Christ! YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!! RECEIVE HIM AS SAVIOR AND LORD!!!! John 1:12 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, (ESV)

24Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them – 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them

Hears these words

  • Words of Christ. The Gospel
  • GOD’S MESSAGE TO HUMANITY
  • THERE IS ONLY ONE MESSAGE
  • THE GOSPEL has the same meaning to both
    • There is only 1 Gospel, and it demands a response.
    • No need to change the Gospel to reach certain people.

The Four Essentials of the Gospel.   (Mark Dever, 9Marks Ministries)

God is both our sovereign Creator and our righteous Judge.

You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before You (Neh 9:6).

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity (Ps 98:9).

God therefore has the right of ownership over us by virtue of creating us, and he has the right to punish or reward us by virtue of his royal, judicial office. And because God is both our Creator and Judge, we are doubly accountable to Him for all our behavior – word, thought, and deed.

Man was created by God, in God’s image, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. But man sinned against God by disobeying His holy law. Man, therefore separated himself from God’s holy and satisfying presence, and incurred His wrathful displeasure.

  • God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen 1:27).
  • For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).
  • For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18).

Jesus Christ’s death was the substitute payment for the penalty that we deserved for our sin. His death is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of man’s sin and the appeasement of God’s wrath against him.

  • All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him (Isa 53:6).
  • He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
  • And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

We are called to respond to this good news in repentance and belief – turning away from our sin and self-sufficiency toward God and trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the substitute penalty that we deserved for our sin.

  • The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
  • Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

Hears and Does Them

  • Our response the Gospel.
    • Repentance and Faith.
      • Turn from our sin and turn to Christ for salvation.
    • Hearing and Believing and Living (the doing)

Will not fall

  • Remain steadfast in the faith (Matt. 13:1-9. parable of the soils)
  • True Gospel accomplishment in life
  • Success and meaning in life are determined by the foundation. (that which is not seen…think about that!)
  • THE THINGS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL WILL NOT DETER OUR MISSION, BECAUSE WE ARE STANDING ON THE SOLID ROCK!!!!!!

The Response of the People

They were astonished

As one who had authority

  • We either recognize it or not. NO MIDDLE GROUND.

The Gospel demands a response.

Will we receive Christ?  Will you follow after Christ,? Will you begin to live for Christ today?

  • It is so much more that hearing
  • It is more than just hearing and believing
  • It is hearing, believing, and trusting (doing and living)

Scripture:

1 John 2:1–6 – [1] My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. [3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: [6] whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (ESV)

Matthew 13:1–9 – [1] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. [2] And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. [3] And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. [4] And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. [5] Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, [6] but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. [7] Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. [8] Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. [9] He who has ears, let him hear.” (ESV)

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